Tasmania

The southern coast of Tasmania. Nothing until Antarctica!

Tasmania is of course the island famed for its devils. Tasmania is an island state of Australia, an island continent and so the perfect natural laboratory for evolution to tinker around in. Unlike New Zealand to which it is often compared, Tasmania is famous for its mammals. The monotremes, mammals that lay eggs are some of the strangest but of course there is the Tasmanian Devil and the extinct Tasmanian Tiger. Wallabies, quolls and several possums are also common in Tasmania. Not only that but Tasmania is home to the world’s tallest flowering trees. Underground there are also glow worms and cave spiders. Fairy Penguins can be found nesting on the beaches as well.

I spent two weeks driving around Tasmania and a month WWOOFing near Derby and loved every minute of it. Tasmania is a beautiful green island with a mild climate. Prices for food and fuel are high (you’ll be shocked when you realize those gas prices are in liters not gallons) but the people are friendly and besides natural beauty, you can explore a fascinating history. Tasmania was a penal colony for penal colonists. Meaning those who were sent to Australia for their crimes and were repeat criminals were often sent to Tasmania. Port Arthur is a beautiful ruin of a penal colony. With its green landscape, lack of poisonous snakes and cool, mild climate, you can hardly believe Tasmania is part of Australia and indeed, it’s a world of its own.